The Medal for the War of 1940–1941 was instituted by Royal Decree of August 19th 1947 to recognize the actions of the Royal Greek Armed Forces who took part in the war efforts from the outbreak of the war in Greece in 1940 until the fall of Crete in 1941 (it covers the campaigns in Epirus, Albania, Macedonia, Thrace and Crete.)
The medal was also awarded to foreign forces that fought on Greek soil.
The medal can either be of bronze or of gilt. The riband is of a dark blue color with a pale blue center stripe and two narrow white edge stripes. Some variations have a more grey stripe in the center. Every recipient receives a certificate with the recipients name.
The obverse bears the head of King George II, surrounded with a laurel wreath. The wreath is at the top joined by a crown. In 1983 the obverse was changed because of the changing of Greece from a kingdom to a republic in 1974. From 1983 the obverse shows a headless winged female figure above the inscription “1940-41”. The figure is surrounded by a laurel wreath, at the top joined by the Greek word for “Greece”.
The reverse has original a Greek inscription meaning “1940-41 Eprius, Albania, Macedonia, Thrace, Crete” for Army medals and “1940-41 Aegean, Ionian, Myrtoum, Adriatic” for Navy medals. From 1983 the “1940-41” was removed but the rest remained.
The Nobel Prize medal is a prestigious award given annually for contributions to humanity. Here's…
The Philippine Independence Medal is a military award for members of the military who participated…
The Philippine Liberation Medal was created in 1944 and presented to those who participated in…
The Philippine Defense Medal is a military decoration awarded to recognize the initial resistance against…
The Armed Forces Conduct Medal is a military decoration warded to enlisted personnel of the…
The Military Commendation Medal is a military decoration presented for exemplary execution of military duty.